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Reds pick Weiss for his potential out of 'pen

Reds pick Weiss for his potential out of 'pen

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By Jeremy Warnemuende
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MLB.com |

Zack Weiss, the Reds' sixth-round pick, may have to hone his command and his control a bit if he hopes to succeed at the next level, but he certainly proved himself capable by thriving in a tough Pac-12 Conference.

Weiss -- the third right-hander taken by Cincinnati in the first four rounds on Day 2 of the Draft -- was a starter-turned-reliever in college. In 2012, Weiss struggled in 13 starts before moving to the bullpen. He ended the year with a 4.28 ERA in 17 total appearances.

As the Bruins' setup man in 2013, the 6-foot-3 senior has excelled. In 40 appearances, he went 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA. Weiss allowed 33 hits and 12 walks while striking out 27 in 38 innings.

The Reds, however, see him better in his old role.

"We think he can start," said senior director of amateur scouting Chris Buckley. "What a lot of the colleges do is take their best pitchers and put them in the bullpen, because if they're you're Friday starter, they might only pitch one game a week. Other scouts that have seen him think he can start, too."

Heading into UCLA's Super Regional against Cal State Fullerton, Weiss is riding a stretch of 12 appearances (11 2/3 innings) in which he's given up just an unearned run. He did not pitch on Friday night in UCLA's 5-3 win over Fullerton.

Weiss works with a fastball in the low 90s to go with a solid slider, curveball and changeup.

Jeremy Warnemuende is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.